Dispensing apparatus



March 12, 1940.

I L. L. TAYLOR 2,193,211

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 26, 1938 INVENTOR. LAW/0N0 L. 7'flYLO ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE liams oil-o-Matic' Heating Corporat n Bloomington, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application human 26, 1938, Serial No.,186,953

lclaim.

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus of this racter wherein it is desired to contain and dispense packaged liquid goods which are of a nature that require a cool temperature to pre-- vent spoiling.

It isan object of this invention toprovide a device of the character specified which will store a quantityof the packages. above the delivery opening and advance them by gravity to a dispensing closure which will discharge one package at a time. -It is a further. object of this invention, if so desired, to control the operation of the dispensing closure by coin-operated mech- 15. anism whereby the depositing of a coin therein will free an operating handle to discharge one package and then require the depositing of another coin to discharge the next package.

With these and other objects in view. reference 90 is made to the accompanying sheet of drawings which illustrates a preferred embodiment of this invention with the understanding that minor changes may bemade therein without depart-- ing from the scope thereof. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view 'in front elevation of a preferred form of this invention with the casing therefor removed. Y

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation as Figure 1 3 will appear when mounted within its casing.

While it is preferable to mount the improved dispensing and cooling apparatus contemplated by this invention upon a rectangular frame I adapted to be supported wlthin and surrounded by a casing 2; yet. this invention also contemplates the mounting of thedispensing and cooling apparatus upon the bottom and sides of the casing 2 without departing from the scope of this invention.

v This dispensing apparatus is designed primarily for storing and dispensing such liquids as milk, soft drinks, beer andlthe like which are contained in cylindrical bottles or cans and which are. capable of progressing by gravity over -in-' clined surfaces. As shown in Figure 1, a plurality of shelves or supports 3 are secured at their.

opposite ends to the vertical members of the frame I with the alternate supports 3 arranged parallel to each 'other and at a slight angle downward from the horizontal with the angle of the intermediate shelves reversed. The lower endof each support is provided with an opening 4 adjacent the vertical side member of the frame I of such size to allow a cylindrical container 5 of the packaged beverage to pass therethrough.

the frame I.

It is therefore seen that a cylindrical container 5 supported ,upon the upper shelf 3,"unles8 restrained, will progress by gravity tothe lower end of that shelf, through the opening 4 onto the shelf next below, and then through the open- 5, mg l at the opposite end, and so on to the end of the lower shelf. A dispensing closure 6 is provided at the lower end of the lowermost sup- Port or shelf 1 which is preferably in the form of a cylinder mount d upon a concentric shaft 10 the outer or cylin rical surface of which-is depressed to form a pocket 8 of sufficient size to receive a cylindrical container 5. The rear of the rectangular frame I is preferably provided with a co -extensive back plate 9 which rotatably 16 mounts the shaft 1 of the dispensing closure preferably in alignment with the end of the lowermost shelf 3, as shown in Figure 1. A container dispensing chute is provided for receiving a container 5 from the pocket 8 of the dispensmy ing closure and discharge the same through an opening II in the front of the casing 2. The chute is preferably formed from a sheet of metal or plate 'll, bent at its upper end in a semicircle to embrace the cylindrical dispensing 010- 25 sure 6 and then continue at a tangent thereto on the under side a short distance when it is bent to engage the inner side of a vertical bracket I! mounted on the bottom of the frame I. In making this bend, a slight twist is imparted to so the plate ll so'that the front edge is lower than the rear edge. The free end of the plate is then bent upwardly to engage the inner side of a vertical bracket I: mounted upon the bottom of Inmaking this bend the twist is continued and the portion ll of the plate l.l between brackets I2 and I3 forms a chute to discharge a container 5, received from the pocket 6, longitudinally through the opening it. If desired, the rear edges of the plate H may be attached to a plate l5 supported upon the bracket 3 which will also act as a bearing for the shaft 1, in the event that the back plate 9 is not desired. To prevent the cooling effect of the refrigerating apparatus upon the interior of the 45 casing being dissipated through the opening ill for the discharge of the containers, this invention contemplates extending the plate H of the chute to form an air-tight engagement with the front and rear wallsof-the casing i and to pro- 50 vide a cover plate Ha over the top of the bracket I; to engage with the rotatable closure 6 and with the under side of the shelf 3, as shown in Figure 1.

In order to insure a temperature within the u of the handle will operate the closure.

casing 2 of the desired low degree it is preferable to provide a refrigerating apparatus of any preferred commercial type supported upon the v bottom of frame I preferably enclosed by a cover IS. The casing 2 is provided with a door I! for the insertion of the bottles or cans upon the top shelf 3 which door is also preferably provided with a transparent portion l8 through whic h the top is visible in order to determine whether or not it sllmld be refilled. It is also preferable to provide the lowerportion of the front of the casing 2 with a door l9 through which access may be had to the refrigerating unit contained within the casing 2. The front of the casing 2 also mounts an operating handle which engages the contiguous end of the shaft 1 of the cylindrical dispensing closure whereby operation The front of the casing 2 also is provided with a coin slot 2| for the insertion of a coin to free the handle 20 to dispense a container 5. As shown in Figure 2, the coin slot 2! registers with'an opening 22 of a coin receiving'chute 23 leading to any desired commercial form of coin-controlled apparatus whereby the passage of a coin therethrough will allow one complete rotation to be imparted by the handle 20 to the cylindrical dispensing closure ,6. As this coin-controlled mechanism forms no part of this invention, and is so well known, it is not thought necessary to illustrate the same.

While the drawing illustrates the dispensing of a plurality of containers advanced by gravity along a vertical row of shelves, a plurality of such rows may be included in a casing similar to Figure 2 without departing from the scope of this invention. In such a case, the cylindrical dlispensing closure is extended to transverse all of the vertical rows and is provided with as many pockets as there are rows arranged in staggered relation about its circumference and the discharge chute ll likewise extended. In this instance, a different type of commercial coin conformed by the cabinet, a cylindrical housing in the storage chamber having a longitudinal slot forming a discharge opening to which the containers are advanced by gravity, said housing having a second longitudinal slot, a delivery chute inclined with respect to the axis of said cylindrical housing for communication between said second longitudinal slot and the delivery opening of said cabinet, and a cylindrical dis-' pensing closure rotatably supported in said cylindrical housing and having a sealed relation therewith, said dispensing closure having a depression extending in the direction of the axis thereof adapted to successively register with the discharge opening, of said storage chamber and said delivery chute for transferring containers from said storage chamber to said delivery opening of said cabinet, each of said longitudinal slots 'being sealed respectively by the wall of said cylindrical dispensing closure when the depression thereof is in registration with the other longitudinal slot.

LAMOND L. TAYLOR. 

